Handle-bar for bicycles



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P. w. STEVENS. HANDLE BAR FOR BIGYULES- No. 564,848. Patented July 28.1896.

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P. w. STEVENS. HANDLE BAR FOR BIGYGLES.

N0. 564,848. Patented July 28 1896.

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HANDLE BAR FOR BIGYGLES.

Patented July 28, 1896.

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PAUL WV. STEVENS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEFENTON METALLIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF JAMES- TOIVN, NEIV YORK.

' HANDLE-BAIR FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,848, dated July 28,1896. Application filed December 3, 1895, Serial No. 570,922. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL W. STnv Ns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Handle-Bars for Bicycles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in adjustable handle-bars forbicycles and other vehicles, and it has for its object to provide asimple, cheap, and effective means whereby handle-bars may be readilyand quickly adjusted and secured in difierent relative positions.

WVith these objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of the parts, substantially as hereinafterdescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figurelis a side elevation of a portion of a bicycle with my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail side view of the invention. 'Fig.3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation Fig 5, aperspective View of the parts disconnected; Fig. 6, a vertical sectionalview of a modification. Fig. 7 is a similar view of anothermodification; Fig. 8, a plan view of still another modification, andFig. 9 is a side elevation of the same.

In shipping or storing bicycles a great deal of space is necessarilyrequired by reason of the projection of the handle-bars upon each sideof the frame. This is obviated in the use of the present invention byarranging the handle-bars so that they may be brought to a verticalposition in front of and in the same vertical plane with the head of themachine without necessitating their detachment therefrom.

It is, too, often found desirable to adjust the handles of a bicycle tosuit the various positions assumed by the rider, or when two or morepersons ride the same machine to alter the position of the handles toaccommodate the length of the arms of the rider. If he assumes anupright position on the machine, the handles are elevated in order thatthey may be readily grasped without necessitating the bending of thebody. \Vhen,

.adjusted vertically therein. 4

however, it is desired to use the machine for racing, it is desirable tolower the handles that they may be grasped when the rider bends forward,which is the usual position assumed in racing. Whatever may be theposition to which the handle-bar is adjusted, it is essential that it beheld permanent and fixed and at the same time be capable of beingquickly and easily released and adjusted to a different position; and myinvention is intended to accomplish all of these results in a simple andinexpensive manner, as will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The head A of thebicycle may be of any desirable construction. As shown,it consists of a tube to which the bars B B of the frame are secured.

C is a tube connected to the front fork or yoke and adapted to rotate inthe head A. Extending into the tube C is the stem D, upon which thesupportfor the handlebar is connected and adapted to rotate in themanner hereinafter set forth;

The handle-bar may be bent or formed into any of the usual forms and maybe made of one, two, or more pieces, as is found desirable. I prefer,however, to make use of the handle-bar shown, which is formed of asingle piece and is bent or curved in at least two different planes,that is to say, in addition to being bent or curved in a horizontalplane to bring the handles in convenient reach of the rider, it is alsobent or curved in a vertical plane, which, whenever the handle-bar isturned or brought to the different positions hereinafter described, willgive the handles thereof either an upward or a down-- .ward curve, asmay be desired.

The stem D is connected to the tube C in any suitable manner in orderthat it maybe In some instances the stem andtube C may be formed 7integral, that is to say, thetube C maybe extended vertically above thehead, andthe opening cl, which receives the, shank of the handle-barsupport E, may be formedin said tube. In this form of construction the,stem isdispensed with, It will be understood,

therefore, that by the use of theterrn stem I intend to comprehend thepart I) vertically A adjustable in the tube C or the constrnctionwherein the tube C is extended above the head to receive the handle-barsupport, as above described.

Any suitable means may be employed for holding the stem against upwardand downward movement. Those shown constitute a simple means forefiecting this and consist of a clamp O, surrounding the tube 0 and stemD. When this clamp is tightened, all movement of the stem is prevented.

The stem D is provided at or near its upper end with an opening d, whichextends through the stem in the direction of movement of the machine.This opening d is adapted to receive a shank e of the handlebar supportE. The rear end of this shank projects beyond the stem D and isscrewthreaded for reception of a clamp-nut 61*, which in itsnorm'alposition bears against the rear of the stem D. In order to avoidthe necessity of employing a wrench in turning the nut d it may beprovided with a handle or thumb-piece, as indicated in dotted lines,Fig. 2. Near its front end the stem is provided with a shoulder e and atits extreme front end is formed a collar E the opening 6 in whichextends transversely to that in the stem. This opening in the collar Eis adapted to receive the handlebar F, which is'desig ned to rotatetherein and to be clamped against rotation. The means for effecting thiswill be described in detail farther on.

From the above it will be apparent that the handle-bar is supported in adifferent vertical plane from that occupied by the stem D, V

and the axis of its supporting means is at an angle to the axis of thesaid stem, in the present instance at right angles, although it will bereadily understood that this angle may be varied by forming the openingd di-' agon al'ly'through the stem D. As an additional means of insuringthe non-rotation of the shank e in the opening 01, I have provided theface of the shoulder e and the opposing face of the stem D withserrations which are caused to interlock when the clamp-nut d istightened. The above means constitute 'a simple form of clamp for thehandle-bar support,-'althou-gh other means maybe employed.

Various devices mayalso be used for holding the handlebar-F againstmovement in the collar E of the support E. Those shown consist of aflange e upon the handle-bar located at one side of the collar E andprovided at one side with serrations which take into correspondingserrations in one end of the collar. This interlocking of the serrationsis'effected by means of a nut 6 located "at the opposite end of thecollar E which travels upon a screw-threaded portion e ofthe-handle-bar. Byemploy-ingthis construction it-is only necessary, whenit is desired to rotate the handle-bar in its support E, to loosen thenut e and shift the handle-bar laterally in the collar E until theserrationsare disengaged, when it may be elevated or low- 'ered asrequired. As thus arranged, it will "be seen that the handle-bar may beadjusted to any of the positions shown in Fig. 1 and designated 1, 2, 3,4, and 5. It will be observed that in the position shown in full linesand designated by the numeral 1 the handlebar is extended verticallyparallel to the head and stem of the bicycle. This is a convenientposition when it is desired to store or ship the machine, as a greatereconomy of space is attained than if the handle-bar projected to eachside of the bicycle. In the position designated by the numerals 2 and 3the handle-bar is curved upwardly. If, however, it should be desirableto have it curved downwardly, as in position 4, the nut e is loosenedand the handle-bar rotated in the collar E in the direction of the arrowP'to bring it to the position indicated by the numeral 5. The clamp-nutd is then loosened and the shank e s rotated for half a revolution inthe stem D, ausin g the handle-bar to swing in the direcion indicated bythe arrow 4. The clampnut d is then tightened and the handle-bar isrotated in the direction of the arrow! and brought to the desiredheight, when it is secured by retightening the nut e It will thus beseen that a complete reversal of the curve of the handle-bar iseife'cted.

By removing the clamp-nut d from the shank e the handle-bar and itssupport may be disengagedfromithe stem and removed within doors and thebicycle incapacitated for use until the handlebar is once more attachedto it,which may bequicklyand easily effected.

In Fig. 6 the parts are identical in construction and operation withthose in Figs l to 5, except that the front of the stem D is providedwith a recess h, which afiords the shoulder a of the handle-bar supportE -a more extensive bearing-surface.

As has hereinbefore been stated, variousmeans may be employed forholdingthe handie-bar support E against rotation in the stem, and in Fig. 7 Ihave illustrated another means of accomplishing this. In theconstruction illustrated by this figure the shank e is provided aroundits periphery with serrations with which acorresponding serrated key t'interlocks. This key is inserted through an opening 7*, which extendsfrom'the top of the stem and intersects the opening d, and is held incontact with the'shank-e by'means of a nut '5 whichscrews intosaid-opening '5.

In the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 the handle-bar is shownas extending laterally from a support in a vertical plane in advance ofthat occupied by the stem D. It may, however, be formed to extendlaterally from opposite sides of the stem or in the same vertical planeassumed thereby by forming it with 'acen'tral crank m, as indicated inFigs. 8 and -9. The central portion m of this crank is supported in thecollar E, and its parallel portions m extend upo'n opposite sides of thestem D, These sides are In all other particulars the parts in thesefigures are identical with those illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7.

IVithout limiting myself to the exact construction hereinbefore shownand described, what I claim is- 1. In a bicycle, the combination withthe head, of a stem, a support adapted to rotate on an axis which is atan angle to the axis of the stem, means for securing the support afteradjustment, a bent handle-bar rotatively mounted in the support, anddevices for holding the handle-bar after adjustment, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a bicycle, the combination with the head, of a stem, a support,adapted to rotate on an axis which is at an angle to the axis of thestem, means for clamping the support after adjustment, a handle-bar bentin two planes rotativelymounted in the support and devices for holdingthe handle-bar against

